Electric combination lock



H. RA YNER. ELECTRIC COMBINATION LOCK.'. APPLICATION FIL'ED JULY 21, 1920.

H EV'ZQZZINQENTQR ATTORNEY 91 n W om 0 m 86 2/ n 6b 2.. a 2 m z w P WITNESS:

H. RAYNER. ELECTRIC COMBINATION LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED JULY27,1920.

Patented June 20, 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ficsrzezjficzyizer IVNVENTOR 7 BY my ATTORNEY WITNESS:

H. RAYNER. ELECTRIC COMBINATION LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED JULY27,1920- Patented June 20, 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3- zzwww fierze i i267 INV N O A'i-ToRNEY WITNESS:

H. RAYNER.

ELECTRIC comm/mom LOCK.- APPLICATIQN ElLED JULY27,1920.

' Patented June 20, 1922.

5 shins-SHEET 5.

A'ITORNEIY wrmrss:

HERBERT RAYNER, or LoUIsvILLnnENTucnY.

ELECTRIC COMBINATION LOCK.

magma.

Application filed July 27 T 0 all whom. it may concern:

7 Be it known that I, HERBERT RAYNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky; have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Combinaing engagement with other stationary con tact members before a complete electric circuit can be established.

A further object isto produce a permutation device in the nature of a contact maker for the'electric ignition systems of an automobile, in which variously located contact members are connected by circuit wires and said wires are connected to binding posts to which the main conductor wires are attached. each series of contact members being in the path of engagement by bridge members or switches carried by tumblers that are mounted upon a spindle, which latter must be properly manipulated to so arrange the tumblers that the switches thereof will be brought into bridging relation with the contact members before a complete electric circuit can be established.

It is a further object of the invention to produce a contact maker for controlling the electric conductors for the ignition systems of automobiles in which a plurality of spaced contact members are employed and which have short conductors connecting the same in a manner to cause a circuit passing therethrough to take a zigzag path, certain of the conductors being connected to binding posts to which the main conductors of the system are secured, and also in which turnable bridge switch members are employed.

for engaging with and completing the circuit between the same and the contact memher; the switch members being sustained in predetermined positions on a spindle that is provided with a knob having indicating marks thereon which must be brought next to a common indicator on the outer face of the device before the tumblers are positioned Specification of Letters Patent Patented unel 2() 19 22 1920. Serial to. 399,369.

to bring the swit-chesecarried thel'by filn "I? bridging position with respect to the device with which they are to engage; and "also whereby a circuit cannot be completed by a person not acquainted with the combination.

The foregoing'objec'ts, and-others which a will appear as the nature of theinyention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction, combination and'operative assemblage of parts such as is illustrated by the drawings. 1

In the drawings: J Figure 1 is a face view-of the improvement. I v

Figure 2 is a sideelevation thereof.

' Figure 3 is a sectional View approximately C on the line'33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4: is an enlarged sectlonal view ap-' proximately on the line 4 4 of FigureB.

Figure 5 is a'similar sectional View on the line 55 of Figurej3.

Figure 6 is a similar sectional view-appronimately on the line 6- 6 of' Figure-3. I Figure 7 is aplan view of one of the disks.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the improvement, the casing being in section.

Figure 9 is a plan View of one of the bridge switch carrying tumblers.

Figure 10. is a sectional view approximately'on the line 10-10 of Figure 9. Figure 11 is'an approximately central vertical longitudinal sectional'view through a modification. V

Figure 12 is a sectional view approximately on the line 1212 of' Figure 11.

Figure 13 is a longitudinal sectional view in a line with the switches.

Figure 14 is a plan view of one of the tumblers. Y V

Figure 15 is a plan view of one of the disks. T

In the embodiment ofthe improvement illustrated by the drawings I employ a face plate 1 which has secured to the inner face thereof three equi-distantly spaced-rods 2.

lVhile not disclosed in the drawings,"the' face plate is designed to be secured to ;a-s 'uitable casing which encloses all of the parts that will hereinafter be described. Also the face plate 1, in the showing of the drawings is in the nature of a flatdisk, but it is to be understood that the sam e may be of any .desired shape or form and alsothat whileI will, in the following; description refer to the improvementprovided with three series of contact members, and consequently-three insulating material.

bridging members or switches for the said series of contacts, any desired number of contacts and any desired number of switch members may be employed.

On the rods 2, and contacting with the face platel, are comparatively short sleeves 3 of insulating material, and resting on the outer ends of the sleeves is a disk 4 also of The disk is provided with a central opening 5 which is of a greater area than the central opening 6 in th'eface plate'1. On the rods and contacting with the inner face of the disk 4 are sleeve members 7 similar to the sleeve members 3, and resting on the said sleeves is the central insulating disk 8 of the improvement. The disk 8 is similar in construction ,to'the disk 4. On'the rods 2 and contacting with the inner face of the disk 8 are sleeves 9 similar to the sleeves 3 and 7, and alsoon the rods and contacting with the inner ends of the sleeves 9 is the inner disk member 10 of the improvement. The disk 10 is similar to the disks 4 and 7. On the rods 2 and contacting with the inner face of the disk 7 are sleeves 11 which are similar to the sleeves 3 and 7 and 9, but may be of a greater length than these sleeves. On the rods 2 and contacting with the ends of the sleeves 11 is the back plate 12 of the casing. The rods at their outer ends are threaded, and are engaged by nuts 13 that contact with the back plate 12.

All of the disks, slightly inward of their central openings are provided with equidistantly spaced orifices 14 that extend transversely therethrough. Through two of these orifices on each of the disks there are passed conductor posts 15. These posts are, of course, removably sustained in the orifices, and therefore may be arranged in any pair of the orifices on each of the disks, it being important that the same shall be spaced a distance away from each other so as to be properly contacted by the bridge switches which will hereinafter be described. Each of the posts is, of course, of electric conducting material and has one of its ends dished as at 16 and its other end projecting a slight distance beyond the face of the disk and provided with a short conductor 17. It will be apparent that by changing the position of the conductor posts, which in reality provide the contact members, that the combination of the device may be readily changed. 1

Passing through the central opening in both the front and back plates of the device is a spindle 18. Thespindle has on its outer end a knob 19 that has its inner portion flared outwardly as at 20, and the said flared portion of the knob is provided with spaced indicatingmarks 21. On the face plate 1 there is a single'indicating mark 22.

Loose on the spindle 18, contacting'with the inner face of the plate 1, and partly received in the central opening of the first disk 4 is a sleeve-like tumbler 23. This tumbler may be constructed of metal, as is the spindle, but the same has one of its sides cut away to provide a straight p0rtion'24 which has secured thereon a plate of insulating material 26 against which is the body plate 26 of the bridge switch. The outer face of the body plate is also covered by a sheet of insulating material 27, and the in sulating sheets as well as the body plate is secured to the straight wall or shoulder 24 of the tumbler in any desired or preferred manner. The body plate 26 at its ends has outstanding fingers 28 which are constructed of spring material and which are sustained out of contacting engagement with the tumbler. The fingers, at their outer ends have cone-shaped contact portions 29 that are designed, when the tumbler is rotated by the turning of the spindle, to be received in the dished ends of the contact posts 15 on the disk 4. I

In a pocket entering from the outer face of the tumbler 23 there is pivoted, as at 30 a dog 31 that is influenced by a spring 32 to project the active end thereof through the pocket 33.

On the spindle 18, and contacting with the tumbler 23 is a similarly constructed tumbler 34. This tumbler, however, is secured to the spindle by a binding screw 35. This permits of the removal of the tumbler as well as the adjustment thereof with respect to the spindle. The tumbler 34 has a bridge switch similar to the bridge switch in action with the tumbler 23, the last mentioned switch including a body plate insulated from the metallic tumbler and having its ends provided with spring fingers '36 that are formed at their ends with cone-shaped contact points 37. The contact ends of the fingers of the switch are designed to be received in the dished ends of the contact posts 15 on the disk 8, when the spindle turns the tumbler 34 to bring these elements into such engagement. The tumbler 34 has its face, adjacent the confronting face of the tumbler 23 provided with a notch 38 to receive therein the dog 31 whereby the tumbler 23 may be caused to turn with the spindle and with the tumbler 34 when the spindle is manipulated. The tumbler 34, upon its opposite end has a pocket within which is re the second contact member or post 15 on the is connected to the contact member 15 di-' rectly below the first mentioned contact member. The contact post 15 on the disk 4 directly opposite the referred to contacts on the disks 8 and 10 has its conductor 17 connected to the contact post on the disk 10 directly below the first mentioned disk. On the back plate 12 are binding posts 44 and 45 respectively, and a conductor wire from the binding post 44, indicated for distinction by the numeral 45 leads from the said post to disk 4. From the binding post 45 a conductor wire 46 leads to the second contact member or post on the intermediate disk 8, opposite that, of course, to which the conductor 17 is attached. The power'wires 47 and 48 are connected with the binding posts 44 and .45, and it will be noted that the spindle must be manipulated to cause the turning of the intermediate tumbler thereon, and to cause the intermediate tumbler to turn the end tumblers so that all of the bridge switches carried by the tumblers will properly engage with the respective'contacts on the separate disks. When this is accomplished the current will flow through the wire 45, from the binding post 44, through the contact 15 on the first disk 4, through the bridge switch connected to the outer or first tumbler 23, through the second contact post 15 on'the said disk 4, through the conductor 17 to the contact post on th disk 10, across the bridge switch carried by the tumbler 34, through the second contact member 15 on the disk'lO, through the conductor 17 and the contact member 15 on the disk 10, across the bridge switch carried by the intermediate tumbler 34, through the second contact member on the intermediate disk 8, through the conductor wire 46, binding post 45 and through the return wire 48, thus completing the circuit and allowing the same to flow through the electric ignition system of the automobile for permitting the operation of the instrument.

The foregoing construction refers to one.

embodiment of the improvement. A second embodiment is illustrated in Figures 11 to 15. The general construction is similar to that previously described. that is spaced disks of insulating material are employed as is also the spindle provided with the tumblers and the contact members on the disks. It will be noted that in the modified form three disks 49, 50 and 51 are employed.

Each of the disks has a contact post 52 and a switch member 53 normally out of engagement with the contact. The contacts are wired in a manner as previously described, and switches 53 are'pivoted as at-54 and are spring influenced as at 55. Bridge wires 56 connect the pivoted switch members on the respective disks, and these bridge members are in the path of contact with a circuit closer on each of the tumblers 57, 58 and 59.,v The circuit closers are preferably in the nature of spring influenced members 60 in the respective disks. The intermediate disk is fixed to the spindle 62, the other disks being loosely mounted on the said spindle. Between the disks are the pawls and the notches which receive the pawls therein when the disks are brought to certain positions. It should have been stated that the notches providing the pockets for the pawls have their innerwalls arranged at an angle so'that the tumbler disks can slip or ratcl ietgover the also that the pawl of one of the disks will cause the turning of the other disk therewith when the spindle is turned in another direction. In the present instance the 0on tact members carried by the tumblers engage with the bridge wires between the switches to influence th latter against the tension of their springs to permit the said switch engaging with the contacts so that an electric I circuit can be thus completed.

It is believed that the foregoing description, when taken in connection with the drawings will fully set forth the simplicity. of the construction-andthe advantages thereof. With the improvement it is practically impossible for a car to be started bya person not acquainted with the combination of y g the lock. The device is'of a simple nature,v and may be manufactured and marketed at-a comparatively small figure.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. In an electric switch, spaced insulation disks, conductor posts arranged in pairs passing through each disk and having one of their ends dished. a spindle passing through the disks, tumblers thereon, one of said tumblers being received ineach of the disks, spaced connected bridge switches car-- ried by each tumbler having a cone-shaped end designed, when the tumblers are rotated by the spindle to certain positions to be received in the cupped ends of the posts, the central tumbler fixed on the spindle, and means, including spring. influenced elements between the tumblers designed when brought into coengagement .for latching the end tumblers to the central fixed tumbler, and electric conductors connected to the posts and bridge switches.

2. An electric switch comprising spaced insulation disks, each having a circular series of orifices, two conductor posts removably secured in two of the orifices of each disk, a spindle passing through the disks and bearing means for the spindle, a fixed tumbler, and loose tumblers on the spindle, and revoluble in the disks, certain of said tumblers having their confronting faces notched, the other tumblers having spring influenced dogs seated in pockets designed to engage with the notches when the spindle is turned to one position, a bridge switch on each of the'tumblers, but insulated therefrom designed to have wiping engagement with the conductor posts on the disks against which the bridge switches'contact. and electric conductors for the bridge switches and for the posts.

3. In a device for the purpose set forth. a casing, spaced disks of insulating material. therein, each of said disks having a series of spaced orifices therethrough. contact members received in certain of the orifices, binding posts on the casing, electric conductors connected therewith, conductors between the binding posts and certain oi the terminals on the CllSKS, conductors between the remaining terminals on the disks, a revoluble spindle having a graduated knob, and a dial on the outer face of the disk, fixed and loose tumblers on the spindle, spring influenced dogs carried by certain of the tumblers and the other tumblers having notches to receive the dogs whereby all of the tumblers may be revolved in unison, conductor bridge members carried and insulated from each of the tumblers, each of said bridge members having ofi'set fingers terminating in contact elements designed, when the tumblers are brought to certain positions to engage with the terminals of the respective disks and to complete the electric circuit through the terminal bridge members therefore and the conductors for the terminals.

In testimony whereof I my signature.

HERBERT RAYNER. 

